Submarine attachment



.1. W. GERMAN SUBMARINE ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 27, 1925 2 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR 'Wa VWQYZ BY ATT RNEY WV? frress Aug. 31 1926 Y 1 5Q8 573 I J. W. GERMAN SUBMARINE ATTACHMENT FiJed NOV. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTCR JW'c rma 7a Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOHN W. GERMAN, OF WEST NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

SUBMABINE ATTACHMENT.

Application filed fiovember 27, 1925. Serial No. 71,774.

This invention relates to an attachment for a submarine, the general object of the invention being to provide a float device which can be released from the submarine, if the same should sink, so that the device will rise to the surface, with means associated with the device whereby the crew can draw fresh air into the boat and discharge the stale air.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means which are associated with the float device for enabling the crew to communicate through wireless with other ships or with stations on land.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for-normally holding the float device in a well -on the deck of the submarine, with means whereby the crew can release the device if the boat should sink.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be hadto 'the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure l is a view showin a sunken submarine, with the invention 1n use.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 4.

Fi re 3 is a similar. view, but showing the oat in raised position. v

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the cable.

Fi ure 6 is a view of the antennaused on the oat.

As isunderstood, when a submarine sinks, there is no way for the crew to secure fresh air or to communicate with other ships or land so that the crew will soon perish from lack of oxygen and before help can reach them, due to the difliculty in locating the sunken boat, even if knowledge of the accident has been acquired from a source foreign to the submarine.

It is the object of the invention to provide a floatdevice, which, when released by thecrew, will rise to the surface andwith which is associated means whereby the crew can renew the air supply and communicate with other ships or with the land.

In carrying out my invention, I form a well 1 in the deck or other part of the submarine to receive a float 2 which is of hollow construction to make it buoyant. The float is normally held in the well b the. hinged doors 3 which cover the wel and these doors are adapted to be raised to permit the float to escape through means of the screw shafts 4, arranged in the well, and having the nut members 5 thereon to which .the links 6 are pivoted, these links being also pivoted to the doors. Thus when the shafts are turned, the nut members will move upwardly, carrying the links with them, so that said links will force the doors upwardly to open position. The shafts are rotated through means of a shaft 7 and the shafts 8 which are geared to the "screw shafts and the shaft 7 is provided with a handle 9 which is arranged outside of the well and in a position where it can be .reached by a member of the crewwithin the submarine.

A cable 10 attaches the float to the bot tom of the well, and this cable is wound in a coil in the well so that as the float rises to the surface, the cable will unwind and thus not interfere with the upward movement of the float. I prefer to run'three steel cables 11 through the cable 10 and to connect these cables with the lower end of the float and with the bottom of the well or other part of the submarine. The cable 10 also-carries the tubes 12 and 13 and the cable 14. which carries the electric conductors 15. A manually operated air pump 16 is connected with the lower end of the tube 13 which extends from the well into the interior of the submarine to. a position where the pump can be conveniently operated. The lowerend of the other tube 12 also extends from the well into the interior of the submarine. One set of the conductors 15 is connected to a source of supply, such as a battery, and a switch is arranged in the circuit, so that it can be closed -by i a member of the crew. The other conductors are connected to a sending and receiving outfit of a radio apparatus.

A tube 17 is detachably arranged at the center of the float, by being suitably no stem 20 extending within the tube 17 where it is guided for vertical movement and a spring 21 is associated with the stem and tends to help hold the cover in open position. A dart 22 is connected with the stem and is adapted to engage the latch members 23 in the tube 17 which hold the cover in closed position against the action of the spring. A motor .2 1 is arranged in the tube 17 and has a button 25 on its shaft which, when the motor rotates, will-press the latchmembers 23 apart so as to release the dart 22 and permit the spring to force the cover and its stem upwardly and thus expose the interior of the tube 17 to the atmosphere. The upper end of the tube 13 is'in communication'with the tube 17, so that when the pump 16 is operated, air will pass down said tube 13 into the interior of the submarine and the bad air will pass out through the tube 12 and its extension 12' which has its outer end arranged adjacent the opening in the float. The set of conductors which are connected with the battery, is connected with the motor 24 so that when the switch is closed current will be sup lied to the motor to cause it to spread t e latch members apart and permit .the spring to open the cover. par'atus are connected with the antenna 26 which it carried by the cover 19. r

From the foregoing, it will be seen that when a submarine sinks, the crew would first operate the shaft 7 by the handle 9 to open the doors 3 to permit the float to rise to the surface. the surface, the switch would be closed to supply current to the motor 21 to release the cover latch, so that the spring would openthe cover Then the pump 16 would be operated to draw air into the submarine and to'expel the bad air. The radio apparatus could also be worked to send signals notify ing ships and land stations of the disaster and to receive messages from such stations. Thus a ship equipped with this invention could quickly send out calls for help and notify other ships of their location and at the same time keep the air supply pure so that the crew could live until the boat was raised to the surface.

The drawingsshow an annular rib 27 on' the float for engaging rests 28 in the well to support the float in vertical position in the well.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily-apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may The conductors from the radio ap- After the float has reach' make changes in the construction and in the interior of the submarine, a atch for holding the cover closed and electric means for releasing the latch from the interior of the submarine. I

2. In a submarine, a well, doors for closing the same, a float'in the well, means for opening the doors from the interior of the submarine to release the float, a cable connected with the floatand with a part of the well, a spring pressed cover for the top-of the float, an air tube passing through the cable and connecting the interior of the submarine with the air in the float when the cover is raised, a pump connected with said tube, latch means for holding the cover closed, electric means for moving the latch means'to releasing position, the wires of such means passing through the cable, an,

antenna carried by the cover, wires connected with the same and passing through the cable into the interior of the submarine so that a radio apparatus can be connected thereto and an air exhaust tube passing through the cable and connected with the interior of the submarine.

3. In a submarine, a well, doors for closing the same, a float held in the well by the doors, means for opening the doors from the interior of thesubmarine to release the float,

a cable, wires passing through the same and connected with the bottom of the float and 4 with a part of the well, a detachable hollow member within the lloat, a spring pressed cover at the top of the float and exposing the member when open, an air tube passing through the cable and connecting the interior of said hollow member with the interior of the submarine, a pump connected with the lower end of said tube for drawing air through the same, an air discharge tube passing through the cable for discharging bad air from the submarine, an antenna carried by the cover and wires passing from the same through the cable into the interior of the submarine where they are attached to radio apparatus.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 

